--- title: "6 Genuine Quotes By Ralph Waldo Emerson" description: "6 Genuine quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Plus more from Ralph Waldo Emerson and more Genuine sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_apology_my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a-life-it_1286752.png" --- > [My life is not an apology, but a life. It is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a-life-it-is-for-itself-and-not-for-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_apology_my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a-life-it_1286752.png) > [Every genuine work of art has as much reason for being as the earth and the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-genuine-work-of-art-has-as-much-reason-for-being-as-the-earth/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_art_every-genuine-work-of-art-has-as-much-re_1625860.png) > [He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests; he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You must court him: he does not court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/he-cumbers-himself-never-about-consequences-about-interests-he-gives/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_consciousness_he-cumbers-himself-never-about-consequen_1659746.png) > [The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-characteristic-of-genuine-heroism-is-its-persistency-all-men-have/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/169/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_authenticity_the-characteristic-of-genuine-heroism-is_1681133.png) > [The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-voyage-of-the-best-ship-is-a-zigzag-line-of-a-hundred-tacks-see-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_action_the-voyage-of-the-best-ship-is-a-zigzag_2448516.jpg) > [Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/your-genuine-action-will-explain-itself-and-will-explain-your-other/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_action_your-genuine-action-will-explain-itself_3185521.png) ## Other authors on Genuine ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-then-creative-reading-as-well-as-creative-writing-when-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The order of things consents to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-order-of-things-consents-to-virtue/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Life only avails, not the having lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/life-only-avails-not-the-having-lived/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-child-reminds-us-that-playtime-is-an-essential-part-of-our-daily/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine/ralph-waldo-emerson/#itemlist", "name": "6 Genuine Quotes By Ralph Waldo Emerson", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My life is not an apology, but a life. It is for itself and not for a spectacle. 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